


What Counts In Teaching

by Anica



Series: Hanni-verse [23]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: BBQ, Established Relationship, Fluff, Ice Skating, M/M, Post Mpreg, Swimming, Teaching, Will Knows, timeout
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-21
Updated: 2014-03-21
Packaged: 2018-01-16 12:00:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1346704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anica/pseuds/Anica
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A few prompt fill ...</p>
<p>Or </p>
<p>The things Hanni learns while Papa teaches him and the thing he learns about his Papa that he knew, but needed reminding.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Counts In Teaching

**Author's Note:**

> Note beta read, sorry! 
> 
> Mads_Enthusiast had asked Hannibal teaching Hanni how to swim (Only 77 days ago according to my inbox, I'm so on top of my game) 
> 
> Divine_shot asked for a family BBQ and cooking... So tweaked, but close! 
> 
> fannibaling was going to write a story about Hannibal teaching Hanni to skate, but let me steal the idea (though I still hope she (? lol) fills it) and insisted it's not cheating that I put them all together.

*Fall*

It was just the very start of Fall. There was just the slightest chill in the air, but the sun was out and a long sleeved shirt was all it took to keep the cold away. The leaves had started changing and a few had fallen. Winston chased them around the yard, wagging his tail happily. 

Will Graham passed the football between his hands as he opened the back door. Outside, by the grill, stood Dr. Hannibal Lecter. His sleeves were rolled, and a crisp white apron was tied at his waist. Hanni stood just to his side, and held on to papa’s hip for stability as he peeked at the grill, knowing better than to get too close. He wore his own apron, though his covered his chest and was very colorful. It also had his name on it so papa wouldn’t mistake it for his. 

Will grinned, set his football down and snuck up behind them, grabbing the boy around his waist, spinning away from the grill and throwing him in to the air.

“William!” Hannibal’s voice definitely had a harsh edge to it. 

“Oh-oh,” Hanni said helpfully, as if Will didn’t already know he was in trouble. 

“Yes?” Will asked, innocently as he let the giggling four year old hang over his shoulder, holding him only by his ankle. 

Hannibal raised a brow at the feigned ignorance. “Hanni, would you like to tell daddy what he did wrong?” 

“No playing by the grill!” 

“Who said that?” Will asked, twirling around, looking for the source of the voice as the boy shrieked and giggled, clinging on to his daddy’s shirt. “Did you hear that, Hannibal?” 

The doctor shook his head, not at all amused by the reckless behavior. “That is quite enough, Will. We were having a cooking lesson. You can join if you like but no more foolishness.” 

Will stuck his tongue out at the doctor, before pulling Hanni back into his arms. 

“How about we play some football instead?” Will suggested, holding the boy close. 

“No, we’re cooking!” Hanni shook his head. 

“Cooking?” Will exaggerated a bit as he scrunched up his face. “You rather cook?” 

“Yes, I’m going to be a chef!” 

“He wanted to be a dinosaur last month,” Will muttered as he set the boy down and went to retrieve his football. Winston was always up for a game. 

“You’re going to want to use a hard wood with the coals. We’re using a peach a wood today.” explained as added the wood on to the grill. “Do you know where we should place the steaks?”

Hanni reached over to point only to have his wrist grabbed when it got too close to the grill, and pouted at the look he got for it. 

“No,” Hannibal told him, and though the look was stern, his voice was once more patient and gentle. “You’re going to want to place it opposite the coals.” 

“Why are there only two steaks?” Hanni asked. 

“They’re very big, and more than enough to for us once we split them.” 

“I like sharing,” the boy smiled. “We can share.” 

“We’ll see,” the doctor smiled, brushing the boy’s cheek. There were two very different types of meat on the grill and Will would not be pleased if he served their son the wrong one. His need to watch what he created be consumed by others did include the small boy at his feet, but for once the consequences of his actions along with the promise he made to Will, was just enough to overpower the urges.

“What now?” Hanni asked as the steaks were placed on the grill. 

“Now we close it and let it cook. We’ll need to turn it in a while but till then it is best not to disturb it.” 

“What will we do till then?” Hanni asked, frowning because he wanted to cook some more. 

“Well, we could start on the rest of the sides,” Hannibal said, as he reached over to undo the bow of his son’s apron. “Or we could go play with your daddy.” 

“But we’re working,” the boy said, hesitantly glancing over to where daddy was playing with Winston. It did look like fun. 

“There has to be more than just work to life, especially for little boys,” Hannibal told him as he finished removing the apron the rest of the way since the boy still looked uncertain. “Besides, daddy looks like could use his best player.” 

“Will you come play with us?” Hanni asked. 

Hannibal glanced at his kitchen. There were still quite a few things left to prepare. This might be the last chance to grill before the weather got too cold and he had planned to make all of Will’s southern favorites. 

“Papa has some cooking left to do,” Hannibal explained. 

“But you said-”

“I know what I said,” Hannibal said, kneeling down to kiss the boy’s curls. “But papa is not a little boy and needs to make sure his favorite boys are well fed. We’ll make a deal? If you finish playing first, you can help me in the kitchen. If I finish first, I shall join the game. Agreed?” 

Hanni nodded, grinning. “But you have to be the monkey in the middle.” 

Hannibal gave a playful growl, turned the boy towards Will, and sent him with a firm pat to his behind. 

*Winter*

Will kneeled in front of his son, and propped the skate against his knee, making sure the knot was secure. 

“Other foot,” Will said, patting the one he had finished. 

“I want to go so fast,” Hanni said, sounding very excited as he clapped his gloved hands. 

“Let’s first get on the ice,” Hannibal said, holding out his hand to help Will up. 

Hanni got on his feet, frowning at the skates and took a few small steps before smiling up at his dads. “I’m doing it!” 

“Very good,” Will chuckled, guiding him towards the entrance of the skating rink with a gentle hand on his head. 

Hannibal held out his hand as he entered the ice only to have it pushed away. 

“No, no papa, I can do it! I can do it myself.”

“I insist,” Hannibal said, only to be declined again. 

“But I want to do it,” Hanni pleaded, unable to keep a bit of whine out of his voice. 

“Let him,” Will said, knowing how stubborn both Lecters could be. 

There was a moment of doubt in Hannibal’s eyes before he stepped aside and Hanni took an eager step onto the ice. He hadn’t expected the ice to be so slippery. He had been fine on the floor but as soon as he stepped foot off of it, he found himself falling. Papa caught him, and stood him back up, taking his hand. 

“No!” Hanni pulled on his hand, not at all deterred by the near mishap. 

“Hanni,” Will said quietly and it was enough to get the boy’s attention and defuse the situation. 

“Sorry,” Hanni quickly told them, but kept his hands behind his back. “I want to do it myself, Daddy.” 

“As you wish,” Hannibal said, taking a step back. 

Hanni found it very difficult to move his feet and ended up falling on his behind after a few steps, scaring the boy far worse than any possible damage the hard surface could do. He reached up and let Papa pull him to his feet. When the older man tried to take his hand again, Hanni pulled away, still stubborn and insisted on trying again. 

His next steps were more careful but before any progress could be had, a girl skating a bit too close to him, startled Hanni and he fell to his knees. This time he burst into tears, like any four year old would, and clung to his daddy when he was picked up. 

“I want to go home,” He cried into Will’s scarf. 

“We just got here,” Hannibal reminded him, rubbing the boy’s back as he stood close to the pair. “A part of learning is falling down, sweet boy. You’re all right. There is no need to stop.” 

“No!” Hanni lifted his face to glare at his papa. “I don’t like it. It’s too hard. Daddy, take me home.” 

“Honey, are you-”

“We are not going home,” Hannibal cut in firmly. They had both taken time off, and they were not going to waste their day on the child’s temperament. He was sure he could have the boy back on the ice before too long. 

“I don’t want to play on the ice,” Hanni frowned at him. 

“You don’t have to,” Hannibal told him, pointing to the benches by the entrance the rink. “You can sit right there while daddy and I skate.” 

“Hannibal,” Will started but caught the determined look and sighed. He skated to the entrance and set the boy down. “Don’t move from the bench, we’ll be back in a few minutes. Just watch us, all right?” 

“No, don’t go daddy,” Hanni clung to his hand. 

“Do you want to keep skating?” Will asked, kneeling down. 

“No,” Hanni pulled the word into a whine, stomping his skates against the floor. 

“Then give your papa and me a chance to do it.” He kissed the boy and pointed to the bench. “I want to see you on the bench, all right?” 

“No!” And another stump. 

“Hannibal…”

“Yes, daddy,” Hanni sighed, knowing his daddy was reaching the limit of his patience. 

Will waited till the boy was sitting before he turned to glare at his fiancé. “I don’t want to leave him there.” 

“I’ll be watching him,” Hanni reassures him, taking his hand pulling him along. 

Will gave him a doubtful look till they get about a quarter of the way around the rink and Hannibal turned and started to skate backwards. Will rolled his eyes. 

“I have yet to find something you’re mediocre at,” Will shook his head but smiled as the older man took his hand and pulled him along. 

“I’d appreciate it if you kept me from colliding with others while I keep an eyes on our boy.” 

“And I thought you were all-seeing,” Will can’t help snorting. 

“If I was, then this would be all be solely for the purposes of showing off.”

“Unthinkable. How is he?” Will asked, resisting an urge to turn around. 

“Very unhappy,” Hannibal admitted, watching the little boy sniffle. He pulled Will closer, and did a quick spin, finding the boy looking a bit more interested. 

Once they’re came to the last quarter, Hannibal turned, and offered Will his elbow as they neared the entrance. 

Hannibal kneeled by the bench, and rubbed the boy’s cheek. “Are you ready to try again?” 

“Can you teach me to skate like you?” Hanni asked. 

“Yes, but you have to understand that it won’t happen instantly. You will fall and it might hurt a little,” Hannibal told him, as he stood the boy up. “But it should not discourage you from trying again. I never want to hear you say something is too hard. You will never learn if you’re so quick to give up.”

“I won’t,” the boy said, slipping his hand into Hannibal’s. 

Will smiled as the two passed him by the entrance. 

“Hold daddy’s hand as well,” Hannibal instructed and the boy held out his hand.

They each took a hand, and slowly guided the boy around the rink, letting him build up his confidence and get used to the ice. A few times he lost his footing but each time the gentle hold on his hands grew firm, held on and pulled him up till he was on his feet, without letting him fall. 

“Are you ready to try on your own?” Hannibal asked, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. 

Hanni looked up at Will first, looking for reassurance before he turned back to Hannibal and nodded. 

“Do you remember what I said about falling?” Hannibal asked, letting go and skating a few feet away to kneel down. 

Hanni clung tighter to Will’s hand but nodded. “I should try again.” 

“Skate over to me, remember that you have to keep your feet close,” Hannibal said.

Will let go of the boy’s hand and caught Hannibal’s eyes. There was a bittersweet twist of the lips on the older man’s face, and Will knew that his fiancé was thinking that not too long ago there was a toddler who would let go of daddy’s hand when the front door would open and take few unsteady steps to fall into his papa’s arms. The boy was growing so fast. Nearly five now, and soon would not be running into their arms, asking to be picked up, or climbing into bed with them just because he wanted to snuggle. 

Will let his hand run through the boy’s curls before he slipped away. 

Hanni did as he was taught, standing with his feet close, then skating. His feet started to get to far apart and he shot his papa an alarmed look, but the older man was already leaning in to steady him. Hannibal did not pick him up, only adjusted his posture. 

“You don’t want to skate on the inside of the edge.” Hannibal moved back again and beckoned him over. “We skate on the sole, a bit on the outside edge, but never on the inside, all right?” 

Hanni nodded, looking very serious as he fixed his gaze on his skates. 

“Together. Sole. Together. Sole,” he chanted softly, making sure he wouldn’t forget. 

Taking small steps, he kept going till he was in Hannibal’s arms. He looked up, clearly surprised, that he had made it all the way without falling. He turned back to grin at his daddy, who was already leaning over him, looking very proud of the little boy. 

“Did you see me daddy?” Hanni asked, squirming with excitement. “I almost fell but I didn’t and then I didn’t fall at all and I got to Papa all on my own!” 

“You were wonderful!” Will grinned, kissing the cool cheek. “Ready to do some more?” 

“Yea!” Hanni grinned. “But don’t hold my hand.” 

“That’s fine,” Will chuckled, sticking his tongue out at the boy. “I’ll just hold Papa’s hand.” 

Hanni stuck his tongue out in return, and they both got a stern; “boys, behave.” from Papa. 

“Yes, Papa,” Will snickered as he took the older man’s hand and held it in his. 

“You’re a brat,” Hannibal told him warmly, as they slowly moved behind their son. 

“You’re an old-ow” Will yelped as his hand was squeezed, he tried to yank it free but the doctor did not let go, instead he brought it to his lips and placed a kiss over the finger tips. 

“You have a wicked mouth,” Hannibal spoke, Will’s hand still pressed against his lips. 

“Says the man wi-” Will stopped with a gasp as Hanni crashed to the ground. 

He was already on his knees by the time Will had pulled up next to him, and he and Hannibal quickly checked him over. 

“Are you all right, baby?” Will asked, slightly nervous they were on their way to a meltdown. 

“Yes, daddy,” Hanni only grinned. “It’s ok to fall sometimes.” 

*Spring* 

“Come on, sweet boy,” Hannibal tried to coax his son into the pool. “I’ll be right here with you.” 

“No! I want my floaties and my frog!” Hanni crossed his and scrunched up his face as far as it would go, while bowing his head. 

“No,” Hannibal said patiently, and explained once more why his inflatables we’re not allowed. “You will not learn how to swim with those things on.” 

“Well, maybe I don’t want to learn,” Hanni said, the face morphing into a small but heart breaking pout. 

“In a little over a month we’re taking daddy on his trip,” Hannibal reminded the boy. “You will have to know how to swim.” 

Hanni shook his head, making the combed curls fly free and hang in his eyes. A public pool was not ideal for teaching the boy to swim, but it was heated, and almost empty on that particular Thursday afternoon. 

“No?” Hannibal raised a brow, feeling his patience starting to slowly grow thin, as others started to notice the discussion they are having. “Will you not be joining us?” 

“I want to go,” the boy said, tears instantly spilling over, making Hannibal hesitate. He had not meant to make his son cry. 

“We will all go,” Hannibal soothed. Wiping away the tears with a wet hand might seem to defeat the purpose of the action but it stops any further tears from coming forth. 

“I’ll wear my floaties on the boat, and my froggie,” Hanni tells him with earnest. “And I’ll bring my duckies. They float.” 

“You will have a life vest but it is still important to know how to swim,” he explained. 

“Hey, you could just chuck the kid in the water,” a man at least a decade older than Hannibal said, as he swam up to them. “It worked for me when I was a kid. He’ll be fine.” 

“Thank you,” Hannibal said, voice tight as he stared the man down. “But I have this under control.” 

“Oh, yea, sure,” the man nodded, the smile that he had, quickly disappeared. He swam away without another word. 

“I didn’t like him,” Hanni said, glaring after the older man. 

“Let’s not concern ourselves with the likes of him,” Hannibal said, patting the edge of the pool. “Sit.” 

“You won’t pull me in, will you?” Hanni asked nervously. 

“Would papa do such a thing?” 

“Yes,” Hanni said after a moment of hesitation before sitting down. “But you wouldn’t let go, right papa?” 

“I will not pull you in before you’re ready,” the doctor reassures the boy. He lets the boy wet his feet and kick a little under the water. He reached down and tickled his right foot, causing Hanni to giggle and kick more. “Does the water feel nice?” 

“Yea, it’s warm.” 

“Hanni, do you know what being brave is?” 

“Not being afraid,” Hanni told him, looking down at the water, feeling not very brave at the moment. 

“No, sweet boy,” Hannibal said, a gentle hand in his hair, but doesn’t force the boy to look at him. “Being brave is doing what you need do while scared. Without fear there is no bravery.” 

Hanni looked up at him but doesn’t say anything, just waits for his father to continue.

“I know you are scared because I was scared the first time my father took me swimming,” Hannibal told him, having forgotten the fact till the old man had reminded him. He remembered clinging to his father’s shoulders, feet firmly around the tall man’s waist till the water was high enough to touch his toes. One moment he was holding on, telling his father he wanted to go back and the next fighting for air. His mother had been furious but Hannibal had refused to come out of the water after that, loving the how weightless he felt, surrounded by the ocean. Being thrown in had worked for him but he was not about to do it to his son. 

Hanni gave him a doubtful look. He has heard his papa and daddy talk about being afraid before but doesn’t believe it. The man before him can do everything, and the boy that his papa had once been was too much for the young boy to comprehend. 

“You do not believe me?” Hannibal asked, slightly amused at the shake of the head. “I was afraid. I thought the waters would carry me away. We were not in the pool where the ground and the other side was so easily seen. I thought it went on forever.” 

“You won’t let go, right?” Hanni asked, hesitantly. 

“Not till you are ready.” 

Hanni reached out and clung to the older man as he walked a few feet away from the edge. Hannibal had been a little older when he had learned to swim, and wondered what his own father had felt when he had let go. 

“Pull your goggles on,” Hannibal instructed and checked the clock over the pool. He had originally thought the boy would learn in one afternoon. 

“The number one rule is never go too far from your daddy or myself,” Hannibal instructed. “But rule number two is never panic. That will cause the water to go in your mouth and we don’t want that. What are the rules?” 

“Don’t go far, and don’t panic,” Hanni counted them off on his hands. 

“I’m going to teach you to float on your back,” Hannibal said, “Relax and put your head back, belly up too. If you get too far, this is what you’ll need to do and then call for help.” 

They went over floating a few more times, reciting the rules each and every time. 

“We’re going to practice holding our breath for five seconds under the water. Let’s try it now. Hold your breath, hold your cheeks and purse your lips and slowly let it out.” Hanni did as instructed, while Hannibal counted to five. “Now we’ll try under water. I’ll be with you so there is nothing to be afraid of. All right?” 

Hanni nodded and they sank under the water. Hannibal counted off five seconds on his hands before standing back up.

“Again!” Hanni grinned. “Let’s do that again!” 

“You aren’t afraid?” Hannibal asked, surprised at the sudden excitement. 

“Only a little,” the boy admitted. “But that’s ok, right?” 

“More than ok,” Hannibal kissed the boy’s cheek. “You are very brave.” 

*Summer*

Hannibal and his son stood at the kitchen island. Both had their aprons on, as different as they might be, and their sleeves rolled up. They were ready to cook. Hannibal unwrapped the parchment paper to reveal the large sea bass. 

“How do we know if the fish is fresh?” Hannibal asked. 

“It’s not smelly,” Hanni said. “Or slimy” 

“What else?” Hannibal asked, pointing to the eyes with the tip of his knife. 

“Eyes. They’re suppose not to be sunken,” the boy grinned. “Can I touch them?”

“Yes,” Hannibal told him, grinning as his son did what most little boys like to do. Poke something dead. 

“Ew.” Hanni shivered and grinned up at his papa, who laughed and handed over a hand towel.

“Now watch,” Hannibal started to explain while he worked. “We make a slit at the tail and one more behind the gill. There is a bone on the back and we’re going to fallow it. This way we can fallow the contour of the fish, and the filet will come off. Right on the bone. Do you hear that?” The sound of a knife against bone filled the room. “Those are the bones we’re fallowing.” 

He showed the filet to the boy and let him run his fingers over the edge. “Feel the bones?” 

“Yea,” Hanni nodded. “We can’t eat those.” 

“No, we cannot. I’ll remove them with tweezers,” Hannibal looked down and frowned. He had forgotten the tweezers. He went to the drawer to obtain them and when he turned back, Hanni had the knife in hand and was baring down on the other side of the fish. 

Hannibal caught his wrist, holding it tightly and removed the knife. 

“What do you think you’re doing, young man?” Hannibal asked sternly, ignoring the small surprised gasp. 

“I wanted to do it too,” Hanni frowned at him.

“Did I give you permission?” 

“No,” he admitted but it was with a defiant glare. “But I cut things sometimes.” 

“You are allowed to use the knife when your daddy or I allow it and under our supervision. You have been told before that you are not to touch them on your own.” 

“But I’m five now,” Hanni fired back as he crossed his arms and glared. 

“Watch your tone,” Hannibal warned. “The filet knife is much too sharp to be handled by little hands. I don’t want you touching it, or anything sharp, until I say that you may do so.” 

“That’s stupid,” Hanni muttered. 

Hannibal removed the boy from his stool and walked him to the kitchen chair that set in the corner of the room where Will usually did his work while Hannibal cooked. He turned the chair to face the corner and pointed down at it. 

“Sit. You are quite aware that we expect you to obey to the rules in this house, even when you disagree with them.” 

Hanni was about to argue that five year olds don’t get timeouts but hesitated since he didn’t know what five year olds get. He sat down, slouching in the seat and crossed his arms. 

Less than ten minutes later, Hannibal was kneeling by his son. 

“Are you ready to listen?” 

Hanni only shrugged. The older man shook his head in disappointment and stood the boy up. 

“I think our cooking lesson is over for today,” Hannibal told the boy, and removed his apron. 

The boy gave him a teary glare and ran out of the room. Hannibal sighed and went to hang up the little apron. 

***

Will found Hanni on the tire swing that hung from a tree in their backyard, bathed in the light of the setting sun. He was surprised when, instead of kicking his feet, like he had been taught to do, the boy had just let it dangle. As he came closer it became apparent that the boy was sniffling lightly. 

“What’s wrong, little man?” Will put his knee on the other side of the swing, and grabbed one of the ropes. 

“Papa doesn’t like me,” Hanni told him, voice breaking as large tears ran down his cheeks. 

“That is the furthest thing from the truth,” Will frowned and set on the swing. “Papa loves you. What makes you think he doesn’t?” 

“He yelled at me.” 

“Yelled?” Will couldn’t help but sound surprised, and a bit doubtful. Hannibal doesn’t yell. Raised his voice a few times, to make sure the boy would hear him while running through the house, but has never yelled. “What did he yell at you for?” 

“I tried cut the fish on my own…” Hanni didn’t continue, not wanting to have Daddy be upset at him too. 

“I see,” Will said, because he does. An inquisitive little boy, a sharp object and if you take your eyes off them just for a second, they find a way to come together. “If papa yelled at you-”

“-and gave me a time out!” 

“-and gave you a timeout,” Will added. “It’s because he was worried that you would be hurt and because you should have known better. He doesn’t want to see you get hurt because he loves you. We both do. That’s why we have rules to keep you safe.” 

“But I’m a big boy,” Hanni whined.

“Come here,” Will said and let the boy climb into his lap. He pushed against the ground till they started to swing. “A long time ago, before you were born, Daddy was alone at Papa’s home. Back then Daddy lived in Wolf Trap.” 

“Why?” 

“Why?” Will chuckled. “Because we didn’t always live together, now hush. I was here alone and I got hungry. This wouldn’t be a problem if your papa believed in using microwaves but that’s beside the point. I put the food in the oven, and went to do some work. I’ve been having trouble sleeping for a few days and ended up falling asleep.” 

The little boy in his lap gasped. “You shouldn’t sleep when the oven is on.” 

“I know that,” Will growled at his son and tickled his sides. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. By the time I woke up, the fire alarms were going off, the house was filled with smoke, and the oven was ruined. The security system alerted the fire department. They showed up while I was trying to clear the smoke out of the kitchen. It was a good thing I had managed to shut the alarm off or I wouldn’t have heard them and they would have knocked the door down.” 

“Oh,” The boy looked at him with a touch of horror. “Papa must have been so mad.” 

“He was,” Will smiled, glad that he could think about that night without cringing or turning red from embarrassment. “I was old enough to know better and it still happened.” 

“Bet he smacked your butt for that,” Hanni said, with just a touch of sympathy. 

“Yea,” Will told him, which wasn’t a complete lie. He couldn’t help the wince at that memory. Hannibal had knocked a fireman over in his attempt to get to Will. The man could have pressed charges but had been too embarrassed at having been taken out by a man wearing a suit that held six different shades of purple and funny looking shoes. He had been furious. 

“I only got a timeout.” 

“Well, that just proves that he likes you more,” Will chuckled. “He’s always going to be your papa and he’s always going to be upset if he thinks you’re doing something dangerous. It doesn’t matter if you’re five or thirty-five. That’s something that will never change. Do you understand?” 

Hanni nodded and rested his head against Will’s shoulder. “I didn’t say I was sorry but I am.” 

“Maybe we should go tell him?” Will asked. 

“You’ll come too?” 

“Of course,” Will told him, smiling as Hanni wrapped his arms around his neck and buried his face against him. Will wrapped his hands tightly around the boy. “I love you.” 

“I love you, Daddy,” Hanni told him. 

“No more knives,” Will warned, kissing the side of his face. “Not without permission.” 

“Yes, Daddy.” 

*** 

Will coughed to get Hannibal’s attention. The man in question, raised his head, looking up from the dishes he had been plating. 

“Yes?” He asked, face a mixture of confusion and amusement. 

A head of curls peeked out from behind Will and disappeared again. 

“We had something to say,” Will said. 

“Is that so?” Hannibal asked and kneeled on the floor. 

The doctor was almost knocked over as he the boy ran into his arms. Hanni clung to him, apologizes pouring out of him along with tears. Hannibal glanced up at Will, arms tightly around the boy and stood up. 

“I won’t touch the knives anymore,” Hanni told him with all the sincerity of young child. 

“I know,” Hannibal rubbed his back. “You’re my good boy.” 

“Can I still be your sous chef?” 

“Of course,” Hannibal chuckled. “Who else would it be?” 

“Not daddy,” Hanni told him pulling back. “He burnt the kitchen.” 

“Hey!” Will gave a halfhearted protest. They could have their precious kitchen. Traitors. 

“Daddy told you about that, hm?” Hannibal put the boy down and handed over the utensils. “Go on, Chef.”

Hanni ran from the room and Papa tugged Daddy into his arms. 

“Was that really the best story to tell?” 

“It was a cautionary tale and it got my point across,” Will pouted, looking prettier than fair. “Besides, I paid my dues.” 

“You did, my boy,” Hannibal kissed the side of his neck. “I believe I am in your debt.” 

“I’m sure you’ll find a proper way to repay me,” Will told him, pulling back and straightening Hannibal’s tie that had been flung over his shoulder. His hand came up and he brushed his thumb over the other’s cheek. 

A spark went off, bright as the fire from all those years ago, and Hannibal pulls him in, kissing him hard, biting his lip, hands full of curls. They come apart when the very mature five year old demands to be fed. Will ducked his head and pulled away. 

They both needed air to catch their breath and calm themselves before their clever boy can come up with some inappropriate questions.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't have five year olds so I don't know if they're old enough to play with filet knives. Everything else I learned from YouTube.
> 
> If you want a cute story about Hanni asking some fun questions, check out http://archiveofourown.org/works/1175971 by fannaling!


End file.
